Hamilton & Chase Tours
Private tours in Edinburgh, Scotland

Private Edinburgh Tours

Edinburgh appears in 4 of our itineraries across Scotland, ranging from 7–11 days. Every one is private, and every one can be reshaped around the time you want to spend here.

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From our itineraries

What a day in Edinburgh looks like.

Taken from the itineraries themselves — these are real days from trips we run, not a generic description of the city.

Day 2 · Essence of Scotland

Edinburgh in Depth

The Edinburgh that most visitors see is the surface: the Castle, the Mile, the Scott Monument. Your private guide takes you into the layers. The Palace of Holyroodhouse at the foot of the Mile is the oldest part of the royal complex — Mary Queen of Scots lived here from 1561 to 1567, and the supper room where her secretary David Rizzio was murdered in front of her is preserved exactly as it was. Arthur's Seat — the ancient volcano in Holyrood Park — rises 251 metres from the city centre and gives a view of the entire east coast of Scotland on a clear day. The Georgian New Town: the grid of streets laid out by James Craig from 1766, whose Charlotte Square, Heriot Row, and the principal streets represent the most coherent Georgian urban planning in the world. The Scottish National Gallery on the Mound houses the national art collection including the finest group of Old Masters in Scotland. Princes Street Gardens below the Castle rock in the late afternoon.

  • Palace of Holyroodhouse — Mary Queen of Scots and Rizzio's murder
  • Arthur's Seat — the ancient volcano in the city park
  • Georgian New Town — Charlotte Square and the Craig grid

Day 2 · Whisky and Castles

Edinburgh and St Andrews

The morning for Edinburgh: the Georgian New Town — Charlotte Square, Heriot Row, and the Moray Estate — whose regularity and elegance represent James Craig's 1766 plan executed over fifty years by three generations of Edinburgh builders. The Scottish National Portrait Gallery on Queen Street houses the faces of Scottish history from Mary Queen of Scots to Sean Connery. St Andrews across the Forth Bridge in the afternoon: the town on the North Sea coast whose university was founded in 1413 (Scotland's oldest) and whose golf course has been played since at least 1552. The Old Course is the most famous in golf — the 18th hole, the Swilcan Bridge, and the Royal and Ancient clubhouse. The ruins of St Andrews Cathedral, once the largest building in Scotland and the destination of medieval pilgrimage from across Europe. Overnight in St Andrews.

  • Edinburgh Georgian New Town — Craig's 1766 plan
  • Scottish National Portrait Gallery
  • St Andrews Old Course and the Swilcan Bridge

Day 1 · Epic Scotland

Arrival in Edinburgh

Edinburgh is built on the remnants of extinct volcanoes — the Castle Rock, Arthur's Seat, Calton Hill — and the city's silhouette is inseparable from its geology. Your private driver meets you at Edinburgh Airport. The afternoon at leisure: the Castle, the Royal Mile, the closes and wynds of the medieval city, and the first of many encounters with Scottish whisky at a bar on the High Street. The National Museum of Scotland in Chambers Street has the most important collection of Scottish material culture in existence. Welcome dinner in the Old Town at a restaurant whose menu is built on the Scottish larder — game, Aberdeen Angus, Hebridean seafood, and a whisky list that treats Scotland's national drink with appropriate seriousness.

  • Private airport transfer to Edinburgh
  • Edinburgh Castle and the Scottish Crown Jewels
  • National Museum of Scotland

Day 8 · Highlands and Skye

Departure from Inverness

Inverness in the morning: the Victorian market hall, the River Ness walkway, and the dolphin viewing point at the Kessock Bridge where bottlenose dolphins feed year-round. If time permits before the flight: a short drive east into the Cairngorms — the sub-Arctic plateau that is Britain's largest national park — for the specific quality of Highland light that falls differently at altitude. Your private driver transfers you to Inverness Airport, or south to Edinburgh Airport if required, at the agreed time.

  • Inverness morning — the River Ness walkway and dolphin point
  • Optional: Cairngorms plateau drive
  • Private transfer to Inverness or Edinburgh Airport

Itineraries

4 tours visit Edinburgh.

Epic Scotland — Private Package 11-day tour: The complete Scottish circuit — Edinburgh to Stirling via Speyside, Skye, Glencoe, and the Castle Trail.
11 Days
From €3,990 per person

SCOTLAND

Epic Scotland

Private · Semi-Private · Self-Guided

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SCOTLAND

Epic Scotland

The complete Scottish circuit — Edinburgh to Stirling via Speyside, Skye, Glencoe, and the Castle Trail.

Cities You'll See

Edinburgh · St Andrews · Speyside · Inverness

Highlights

  • Edinburgh, St Andrews, and the Speyside whisky trail
  • Culloden, Balmoral, and the Aberdeenshire Castle Trail
  • Three nights on the Isle of Skye — the Quiraing, Fairy Pools, and Talisker

11 Days / 10 Nights

From €3,990

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Whisky and Castles — Private Package 9-day tour: Edinburgh, St Andrews, the Speyside distillery trail, Aberdeenshire castles, and the Isle of Skye.
9 Days
From €3,390 per person

SCOTLAND

Whisky and Castles

Private · Semi-Private · Self-Guided

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SCOTLAND

Whisky and Castles

Edinburgh, St Andrews, the Speyside distillery trail, Aberdeenshire castles, and the Isle of Skye.

Cities You'll See

Edinburgh · St Andrews · Speyside · Inverness

Highlights

  • Glenfiddich and The Macallan — private distillery tours in Speyside
  • St Andrews Old Course — the home of golf since 1552
  • Craigievar Castle — the 1626 pink tower house that inspired Disney

9 Days / 8 Nights

From €3,390

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Highlands and Skye — Private Package 8-day tour: Edinburgh, Glencoe, three nights on the Isle of Skye, Eilean Donan, and Loch Ness.
8 Days
From €3,090 per person

SCOTLAND

Highlands and Skye

Private · Semi-Private · Self-Guided

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SCOTLAND

Highlands and Skye

Edinburgh, Glencoe, three nights on the Isle of Skye, Eilean Donan, and Loch Ness.

Cities You'll See

Edinburgh · Glencoe · Isle of Skye · Inverness

Highlights

  • Glencoe — the glacial trough and the Massacre site
  • Fairy Pools — the mountain pools below the Black Cuillin
  • The Quiraing — the landslip landscape of northern Skye

8 Days / 7 Nights

From €3,090

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Essence of Scotland — Private Package 7-day tour: Edinburgh, Stirling, Glencoe, Inverness, and Loch Ness — the essential Highland circuit.
7 Days
From €2,690 per person

SCOTLAND

Essence of Scotland

Private · Semi-Private · Self-Guided

Hover for Itinerary View Itinerary

SCOTLAND

Essence of Scotland

Edinburgh, Stirling, Glencoe, Inverness, and Loch Ness — the essential Highland circuit.

Cities You'll See

Edinburgh · Stirling · Glencoe · Inverness

Highlights

  • Edinburgh Castle and the medieval Royal Mile
  • Stirling Castle — the most important fortress in Scottish history
  • Glencoe — the glacial valley of the 1692 Massacre

7 Days / 6 Nights

From €2,690

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